PRINCE SHADOWMIRE LUSTERGROTTO OF THE DROW DOMAIN

Chapter Three: Guardian Angel

The angel filled my dreams. After so long of being haunted with my memories, she came and chased away the demons. This angel was so beautiful… so pure. Her long, blonde locks floated around her as she danced around in circles. Her arms waved to the left and right as she moved her bare feet back and forth across the endless void. I caught her gaze as she observed me with those priceless azurite eyes of hers. Without words, she offered me her hand. What was her name? I had to know… I had to! I reached for her hand, but before I could touch her, I stirred from my slumber.

Groaning loudly, I slowly opened my eyes and tried to get my vision to focus. Everything was really fuzzy and blurry. My head was spinning violently and held it with my left hand. My right eye was fine, my vision returning, but my left eye… I could not see out of it! I found I could not move my left leg or my right arm. The limbs were completely numb however, my back was on fire and so was my chest and face. I remembered what happened clearly. Those blasted guards were torturing me and then the angel appeared. I could not recall much after that happened.

My thoughts were brought to an immediate halt when I found myself staring at a huge gryphon less than a foot away from my face. He looked at me with those huge golden eyes of his and tilted his head to the side as if he was observing me. He blinked a few times. The beast opened his large beak slightly and cooed. Reacting instantly out of fear, I reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a candleholder with my good arm. I swung it as hard as I could at the gryphon.

“RAWCK!!!” The gryphon screeched and ducked just in time to avoid my attack. He was trying to move so fast that his big wings became unfolded and he knocked over a vase on the dresser. The vase hit the floor and shattered into a thousand pieces. Scrambling to get out of the room, the gryphon bonked his body against the doorframe. His foot got caught on the rug and he tripped forward out into the hallway. I heard something else crash out there, as the gryphon yelled, “MY LADY MASTER! THE DROW’S LOST IT! HE’S PYSCHO!”

I tried to raise myself up so I could sit up straight. Damn, it hurt to move! Quickly, I scanned the room for any possible exit. If the elf guards found me, then I was dead meat! Maybe I could crawl over to the window and somehow get out of here. I worried I would be too slow with my bad leg. It was impossible to escape in my current condition. I held tightly onto the metal candleholder. It was my only weapon for now. My strength was drained and my body was in agony.

Wait…

I set down the candleholder on the bed beside me and then raised my left hand to feel of my face. Gasping, I felt bandages. I took a moment to look over myself. The clothes I wore were not my own. They were made of fine silk. Grimacing, I pulled back my shirt to look at my chest. Every single one of my wounds had been tended to with care. Even my broken arm and leg were set in a sturdy cast! Instantly, the blood flooded to my cheeks. I was so embarrassed now that I knew someone had seen all of me. Was… was it the angel who saw me?

“You’re awake!”

That was the angel’s voice!

Speedily, I jerked my head up to see the angel looking back at me with an awed expression. By the gods, she was so beautiful. The teal and white dress she wore really showed off her porcelain face. Behind the angel was a tall, dark-haired elf who had glasses on his nose. He appeared to be a doctor of some sorts by the clothing he wore. The auburn gryphon poked his head through the space between them with his ears flat as if he expected to be struck at again. He whimpered loudly, nipping at the angel’s hand lightly. The angel patted the gryphon’s head to comfort him before she made her way over to me.

“Rawck! Lady master! Don’t!” The gryphon squawked, as he bit down on the train of her dress and pulled back. He whined with a beak full of cloth, “He’ll try to hurt you too!”

“My princess, I’d advise staying away from the drow.” The doctor said seeming a bit concerned, “He could be a bit unstable.”

“Don’t be silly, Doctor Fernyow!” The angel laughed, gently pulling her dress out of the gryphon’s mouth, “Windhowl here probably just gave him a fright. After all, it is not everyday a drow wakes to have a gryphon by his bedside.”

“I gave him a fright?!” Windhowl pouted crossly, curling his ears back, “I was simply watching over him like you asked me to do and he tried to hit me!”

The angel rolled her eyes as she slowly approached the bed. I leaned back against the pillows stiffly watching her every move. I tried to keep myself from trembling. After the cruel whipping I received, I did not know who to trust. Honestly, I was terrified, but not of the angel. I had no clue to what was going on and why I was still alive. Did the elves plan to torture me more to see me suffer? Did they plan to brainwash me for information?

Suddenly, I saw something in her deep, turquoise eyes… was it… compassion?

“It’s okay… you have nothing to be afraid of now.” The angel told me, reaching out with her small, delicate hands. Tenderly, she held my bandaged face and looked through my soul. Her eyes were so assuring… so loving. Brushing the strands of my white hair out of my face, she smiled at me. Gently, she pulled me forward slightly to where my head rested on her bosom. Stroking my hair, she whispered to me, “I’m here… I’m going to take care of you.”

Immediately, I broke out in sobs. My weak body shook violently. I held onto her with my left arm as she was my very lifeline. This pure, sweet, angel… how could she have a heart big enough to care for me? I was considered an enemy of her kind. I felt her arms hold me as a mother would comfort a child. Comfort… was it what I longed for? Hot tears rolled out of my eyes, wetting the bandages wrapped around my face. What was wrong with me?! Why could I not control my emotions?!

It was in her lap I fell asleep. I knew not how long I laid there. My exhausted body felt relaxed in her hold. I slept soundly, my dreams once again filled of the beautiful angel. I awoke later on, moving slightly. The angel was still with me, her hand resting on the back of my skull. I shifted my eyes upward to see her dozing against the large pillows on the bed. Her other hand was resting against her side. In it, she held a book which was still open. Even asleep, the angel was gorgeous.

“Don’t get any ideas, drow.” I heard the pet gryphon mutter, “I will not tolerate anyone messing with my lady master.” He was lying on the other side of the huge bed, narrowing his golden pupils at me. His feathers ruffled slightly as he spoke, as if he was trying to make himself look bigger and bolder.

“I… won’t… hurt her…” I rasped, my throat was so dry it hurt to speak, “She… saved me.”

“You better not.” Windhowl growled lowly, crossing his front paws like we would our legs at the dinner table, “My lady master is very sweet and very kind. She has never done anything to hurt anyone.”

“Windhowl…” The angel roused from her light doze, “Who are you talking to?”

“The drow.” Windhowl answered bluntly, “He woke up just a few seconds before you did, my lady master.”

“Oh!” The angel looked down at me, seemingly embarrassed, “I’m sorry! I did not mean to fall asleep myself,” She brushed her hair back out of her face, “I am Riversong-

“Princess Riversong of the Elf Empire.” Windhowl interrupted the angel as he swished his tail back and forth. The princess gave Windhowl a look that read ‘be-quiet-or-I’ll-send-you-out-of-the-room’. The gryphon did not seem to care.

“I-I’m s-sorry…” I said quietly as I raised myself upward with my good arm. I kept my gaze downcast. I really could not think of anything else to say.

“No, no, don’t be sorry.” Riversong said as she closed her book, “I’m the one who should be apologizing. The guards…” She sighed, “They should not have done what they did. I feel horrible because they did all of this to you!”

I averted my gaze for a moment, “They… only whipped me… everything else happened beforehand.”

The princess stared at me with a shocked expression.

“What… what happened to you?!” She asked with sadness in her voice.

I cringed, not wanting to remember what all happened to me. Why did all of that happen to me?! Why did she have to ask that question?! I thought quickly, wanting to tell her the truth, but afraid to do so. What would the princess do if she found out I was the prince of the Drow Domain? Perhaps I should leave that particular part out. Lowly, I said between breaths, trying not to wheeze too much, “My half-brother… he… betrayed me. He left me for dead after I was… ambushed by a group of demons. If it wasn’t for you… I would be dead. For that, I am truly grateful.”

“Think nothing of it. I am not going to neglect someone in need.” She said with a kind smile, “You are welcome to stay here as long as you like.” Riversong informed me, “Well… either way, you are going to be here for quite a long while. It will take at least a month or maybe more for your arm and leg to heal.”

Windhowl grumbled sarcastically under his breath, “Great! A drow is going to be around the palace for over a month… yay!”

Riversong lightly whacked Windhowl on the head with the binding of her book.
“Windhowl! Where are your manners?!” She scolded the gryphon, who was now holding his head with one of his paws. A grin crept its way onto my lips. The bird-lion monster was jealous of the attention I was receiving from his master. I had to suppress a chuckle. Riversong said to me, “Ignore Windhowl. He’s usually polite with strangers, but today he’s in one of his moods it seems.”

“I’m not in a mood!” Windhowl protested with his feathers sticking up slightly as if he was offended.

“You already know who I am and who this loudmouth and sarcastic gryphon is, so what is your name?” Riversong asked me as she got up off the bed and brushed her dress to get rid of the wrinkles.

“I… I don’t remember…” I lied, hoping she would not sense I fibbed. I could not tell anyone my true name. I could not risk her telling anyone that I was really Prince Shadowmire of the Drow Domain. Her brother would have me killed!

“Then… I dub thee Lucky!” Riversong giggled as she walked over to the closet and began pulling out some men’s clothing.

“L-Lucky?” I stammered as my ears burned in embarrassment.

“Yes,” Riversong said sweetly, “For you are lucky to be alive. I thought you were going to die. You slept for over a week, you know.” She held up a green tunic and a pair of black pants and then observed me. The princess nodded her head, thinking to herself I assume. Lying them down on the trunk in front of the bed, she then walked over to the large dresser. Riversong pulled a small wooden box out of the top drawer and came back over to me. Opening the box, she removed a large roll of bandages, a pair of scissors, and a jar of ointment. She questioned with a fretful visage, “Do you think you’ll be able to stand it if I put new bandages and liniment on you?”

“I-I think s-so.” I replied quietly, knowing my face was flushing underneath the wraps. As soon as the words left my mouth, the princess set to work. She unbuttoned the shirt on my chest and helped me out of it. Using extra care, Riversong used the scissors to cut the bandages off my chest. How horrible my torso looked! Black, purple, and blue bruises covered it everywhere as well as stab wounds which had been sewn together. I was disgusted by the way my own body looked.

“This will feel cold, Lucky.” Riversong told me as she started to apply the salve to my healing wounds.

Oh, great and wonderful Mother Nature, her hands! She was touching me without second thoughts. Her touch… her touch was so warm, so tender, and so full of love. I wanted and I craved more of it. The pure elf princess took her time applying the ointment to my chest and my back and I fought hard to control my urges. Never in all my life have I desired someone so badly before. She had captivated my heart. It would only belong to her. This angel in front of me… I wanted her to be mine and no one else’s. When she finished wrapping the new bandages around my torso, she put the medical materials back in the wooden box.

She then said, “I am afraid I will have to leave those bandages on your face for a few more weeks. Doctor Fernyow told me not to remove them just yet because the burns were so bad. At least then, you could take them off yourself probably. I would hate it if I accidently hurt you trying to get them off.”

Ah, my face… I had forgotten about it being injured as well for a moment. It concerned me in a few ways. How would it look once I removed the wraps? I did not give it much thought for Riversong then brought over the clothing she had picked out beforehand.

“How about a tour of the palace, Lucky?” Riversong suggested with a bright smile.

I found I could not refuse her.